Dead Roses
by Dr. Jhon Smith
Summary: Ruby Rose never made it out of the tunnel from Mountain Glenn. As she lay dying upon the forgotten ruins, a remnant of a forgotten past offers her a contract. Can a dead rose still bloom? Rating subject to change. Likely to have infrequent updates. As of Christmas, no longer a darkfic.
1. Chapter 1

Dead Roses- A RWBY Darkfic

_All deaths are inevitable. Even immortal things will perish eventually._

Shadows. Shadows with eyes. Bright red eyes. Bright like spring roses, bight like the inside of Weiss' cloak, which, now that she thought about it was fairly close to the color her blood, currently trying to make a cute, little puddle underneath her broken body. Maybe one or two shades darker, she wasn't quite sure yet.

She tried to move. Hot lances stabbed into her arms, more blood spurted from the wound from where the rusted rebar had impaled her gut. She dared not move her legs, they felt cold enough already.

They were crawling. Closer and closer into her presence. They slithered, they crawled, they tiptoed on many legs. They waded through the red pool, and onto her body, trailing dark patches onto her porcelain skin and dark clothes.

She could feel them. All of Them. Taijuu slithered along her lacerated arms, death stalkers the size of her palm tapped away at her belly, and all manner of other insect-like grimm crawled into the spaces beneath her. Like scavengers to carrion they flocked to her dying body.

"No.", she let out a faint whisper, "Get...away"

So this is how Ruby Rose dies.

[=]

'They taped it off'

Atlesian soldiers patrolled the perimeter of the scene. Not quite far enough to be out of ear shot, not quite close enough to eavesdrop.

"We found this after clearing the tunnels", Ironwood was reading the report on his scroll as he spoke, "we would have missed it entirely if it weren't for the cloak"

"Did you find a body?", Ozpin said.

"No, but we're still looking.", that did nothing to comfort the cold sensation creeping into her stomach.

A broken concrete boulder lay at the far beyond the yellow tape labeled 'do not cross', and just as Ironwood said, the cloak lay there. _Her _cloak, Ruby's cloak. Impaled upon the rusted, twisted rebar was the little red hood, the hem in tatters, and rusted stains peppered its form, matching the dark pool resting at the foot of the boulder.

"Evidence of Grimm activity?", Ozpin said.

"Everywhere.", the Headmaster shot him a very wry look. Ironwood looked unfazed, "The blood trail ends here, some Grimm tracks were found in blood, but until the lab returns the results we can't be sure that they were from her."

_Results. Evidence. Ends. _Familiar words, familiar feeling, familiar scent, mixed with blood. Yes this was familiar. This empty feeling creeping into the stomach, the cold embrace that you wished was warmer, resting on your back, whispering into the dark corner of your mind.

Team (R)WBY, stood in rigid silence through the discussion.

Blake, unable to look, cursed her imagination as contemplated the pain their leader felt, the things she would have said, the way her life would undoubtedly end.

Every part of Yang Xiao-Long felt cold, the empty ache in her heart felt like it was crushing the organ, her hands were slack, unfeeling, as though there was no strength left to clench them. Her unfocused gaze was fixed on the red cloak. Her sister's red cloak. Brief flashes of her sister assaulted her memory. Her smiles, the hugs, her moment atop the hill during initiation. Each image sent a bolt through her heart. Yet she could do nothing, no words came to her dry mouth, no tears came to her lilac eyes.

One mother disappeared, her loving step mother disappeared too, now her sister as well, all of them likely dead. Was this her fate? As the last of her family, cursed to search through life for all the other Roses, Xiao-Long, Branwens? Ruby was too young, All of them were too young. Their mothers, her sister. Taken too young, she cursed.

Weiss' blood was boiling.

'How many more?'

How many more had to be taken from her until they were satisfied. 'I've always wanted to kill a Schnee', was what they said to her on the train. Just how many more of them were like that? How many more, she gripped Myrtenaster's hilt with whitening knuckles.

First it was board members, their loss was unfortunate, at least that's how her father phrased it. The company would live. Then extended family started disappearing, an estate burned down, then the ransom notes began flooding in. Oh, how very dramatic, how very theatrical. Then the body parts. In suitcases, packages, small little envelopes with wax seals. How many tears had she shed for her cousins? Uncles? Aunts? Bodyguards? Classmates? Tutors? Friends. Her heart clenched at the word. There was no going back now. There wasn't a way to change that now. She had now lost a friend to the White Fang, although they did not take her, it was by their hand that Grimm reaped Ruby from her life. Thus, their lives were forfeit.

"No more.", she said evenly, "I have had enough"

"Wait-Come back! Wei-"

"Let her go Ms. Belladonna.", Ozpin tapped his cane. "Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow."

The old headmaster looked even older now. Though aura kept the lines of age off his features, nothing could hide the air of experience and wisdom that pervaded his presence. Even now that presence seemed to have aged decades, and dulled. His eyes held a dull wistfulness, as through remembering a sad memory.

He walked over to Yang, "Have hope. Ruby is stronger than you think."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Go home and rest, the search will continue.", she turned to him, and gave him a curt, robotic nod.

He cursed himself as she walked away, escorted by Atlesian guards.

_I have failed you again, Summer. _

[=]

The pain stopped.

A slight dullness invaded her muscles, and her skin seemed numb to all the lacerations the bomb had left her with. Her bones felt numb too. Weakly, she turned her head Taijuu, two-headed snake Grimm, had lashed around her arm, clamping down on the larger lacerations, and fangs buried deep into her skin. She turned to the other, with the same measured slowness, and found it the same. A dull pressure brushed past her neck. It coiled over her throat, and tightened ever so lightly around her windpipe. Then a sharp prick jabbed into the back of her neck, and even more numbness spread to her senses. It was now that she realized, the bright red sphere with a single dark slit, staring directly at her, an arms length away.

[=]

It stared at her, unmoving. Muscles tensed, unwilling to move even a fraction. Yet, they merely eyed each other. It blinked. Its large, blood red iris disappearing beneath a thin layer of mucus membrane, followed by a thicker, scaly hide. She blinked. It blinked. They blanked.

All other senses seemed to dull as time passed. Sounds failed to register, smells of rust faded away, her muscles finally went limp, and the pain faded away. Yet the sight did not change. They stared into each other, both measuring their worth. Seconds passed in deathly silence. Then the exhaustion took hold, and the adrenaline wore away, and all that was left of dear Ruby Rose, was the short vestiges of consciousness that left.

The gentle throbbing in her head, and chest felt it weakening. The gentle lullaby drawing to a close. Yet she wished it not. There were regrets, there was much more to do, much more to say! Who would remember her? What did she leave behind? A memory? Waiting for the years to bury and to be forgotten?

There was still more to do, she tried to flail an arm up, yet nothing answered her. Her body had left her as well.

'I want to live', four simple words yelled out in her mind, soft murmurs in her aura.

[=]

_It_ had pleaded. _It_ had wished to live.

Elder Grimm, were far more attuned to the world of humans, than even humans believed. There were Ursa Majors, and Alpha Beowolves, but even those held only a child's understanding of the standing of humans in this Remnant world. Greater Grimm, like the giant Nevermore, smote upon the cliff side, held greater understanding, well enough to avoid humans, and hunt only those to ventured into their territory.

Goliaths, knew, understood, and avoided direct conflict, patrolling the borders. Watching and waiting for the appropriate moment to strike.

Then there were the Elders.

The truly Elder Grimm, those which time had forgotten, and those which fully understand what it is to be human.

Forgotten things have a nasty habit of being remembered, often in the most terrible of ways.

[=]

_Its_ pleading had brought it to the Elder's presence. _It_ had called out in vain, it held hope in despair. That was not something any Grimm endured. _It_ must be stamped out, extinguished, exterminated.

This was the mandate of all Grimm, feed off negative emotions, foster their growth, through any means necessary. Primarily, killing any and all humans within range.

Yet this is not how the Elder perceived it. To kill one, ten, one hundred, one thousand, would cause unimaginable grief, and the out pour of a deluge of negative emotion. Yet this was brief. Many grim could feed off this energy, grow stronger, ascend the hierarchy of Grimm. Still, it was brief, and their kin would no doubt compete for the resources at hand. Elder Grimm became elder for very specific reasons, their supply of negative emotions, negative aura, was constant. It did not wax or wane like the coming of the shattered moons. It was constant, small but constant.

Then, when presented with a subject like_ it_, drenched in its own life fluids, the red liquid no longer performing its vital function, and it calling out to the Elder with such pleading. How else is the Elder to react to such a delicious subject such as_ it_?

_It'_s life ebbed sharply, and the elder felt it would soon bleed away into the void.

The most ancient and Elder Grimm acted quickly, its scaled body moved like flowing water despite its size, its bat like wings drew close to its body, were silent as the grave as it glided before her. Black horns glistened upon its prow like head, as it passed under the holes of the broken tunnel.

Its head made its way into _it_'s presence, and the Elder's maw gaped, teeth the size of great swords revealed themselves, and crept closer to it's form. The lesser Grimm scattered.

_Do you wish to form a contract?_

A/N: That concludes the first chapter of Dead Rose, dear reader. I understand its fairly short, but I'm only getting into writing again, and I wanted to experiment at least a little before getting serious. I was never quite good at this before, and my skills have probably gotten duller, but I'm trying at least. With that said, I would like to make some clarifications: 1. This takes place at the end of Vol.2, due to a twist. 2. Italicized_ "It"_ refers to Ruby as perceived by the "Elder Grimm" 3. The Elder Grimm is intelligent, to a degree. I took liberties with this largely due to "World of Remnant 3" and Prof. Oobleck's explanation of Goliaths. 4. As for why the Grimm offered Ruby a contract as she lay dyng. I'll leave that for next chapter, cause I'm tired and this story has been floating around in my head too long.

Do note, I also post this on my tumblr, deadrosefic.


	2. Chapter 2

Rigor

Soft moonlight filtered in from the window, casting long shadows in the night. Time had passed. How much, she didn't know. But it was enough.

Enough for them to give up. The search had gone on for a time. But when that had passed, Ozpin had pushed them to search harder, still nothing. His concern was odd, above his station, and endangered said station.

Yet there was nothing.

And so it was committed to memory- another Rose had died in the service of the Kingdom of Vale. A record, meant to last forever-meant to be indexed and forgotten in the dusty files of other dead and missing hunters.

She had wept at first-for the first few days. The others had kept reserved appearances, but she knew- knew they wept too- in secret.

Yang had been going to the gym more often. Blake had secluded herself in the library, caged by the stacks and rows. Yang's gym time likely no different that Blake's library time.

A way to shield their hearts, to turn them to stone in, hopes they can't be shattered by what's to come.

Truth.

Ruby Rose is missing, more than likely dead. Team RWBY, is now team WBY. And now she was team leader.

She got what she wanted.

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, got what she wanted-like she always why did it feel like her heart was made of shattered glass?

She sat in the center rug, her nightgown disheveled, her hair in messy tangles, and her knees held close to her chest.

She wanted to cry, but no tears would come. She wanted to scream, but no voice came to her. She wanted to crush, destroy, break, something, but no strength came to her. Only her heart would lend her immeasurable sorrow, and that was comforting in its own painful way.

"-Are you okay...Ice Queen?", her head shot up slightly. She hadn't noticed the door had opened.

Yes, I'm fine. I just fell. I've never felt better. Your concern is duly noted.

"No. No Yang, I am not.", she burried her head in her knees once more, "I'm not okay at all."

Pride had failed her.

A gentle warmth pressed into her back, and strong arms hugged her stomach.

"N-no. Please Yang, no.", she doesn't deserve this, this was her punnishment. To live with the sorrow, the guilt, never to be comforted.

"Don't touch me! Don't, d-don't comfort me!", she cried new found tears. "A person like me doesn't deserve to be comforted! I-"

"Shut up.", Yang said.

"You should hate me! It's my faul-", a warm wetness touched her shoulder and rolled gently into her nightgown, the person behind her shuddered, letting out a pained sigh.

"I love you", she said.

Love.

"I love you. I love Ruby. I love Blake. I love JNPR.", the brawler's gentle hug tightened ever so slightly, as she cried into the heriess' back.

"So please-dont say such sad things. I could never hate you-never blame you. You're my family."

Family.

"Yang.", she willed the wretched sobs to stop for one short moment. "thankyou"

Weiss Schnee cried.

Weiss Schnee wailed.

Weiss lashed out against the heavens with Yang Xiao-Long beside her-

[=]

"We are all entitled to our own sorrow. For the heart has no metrics or form of measure, and all of it irreplaceable.", he looked on into the shattered moon absent mindlessly tapping his cane against the side of his boot.

"Glynda, what are your thoughts on it?", he asked.

"What does it matter to me you coffee sipping fake magician!", she poured another shot.

"I don't think I've ever appreciated your sober self so much until now."

"Hmm, is that so?", she downed the next glass.

"Yes.", he borrowed her bottle while she coughed from the dryness of the liquid, and poured a generous volume into his coffee mug. Caffeine wasn't cutting it these days.

"Glynd-"

"...", he corked the bottle, set the coffee aside, and went in search of a blanket.

[=]

A lonely giant sleeps in the dim light of the shattered moon. It's work, slow, but progressing. It had offered power, it had offered wealth, it had offered immortality, yet _it _ refused them all. So _it _ slept, snug in the giant's innards, soul fettered to the giant's, at the giant's behest.

This Ancient Grimm had offered contracts before, those willing to sell their souls for power, for money, for immortality. Foolish.

Power corrupts and is corrupted.

Money is fleeting, fades, and rots away.

Everything dies eventually. There is no such thing as an immortal being.

Not even Grimm.

When offered, fools answered, fools were easily pleased, and fools wept as easily as they laughed. Fools, and only fools sold their souls to a Drake, and only fools went quietly into the still night when it came time to reap them from the earth.

So serendipitous it is, such fateful happenstance, that the ancient winged Grimm came upon such a soul as _i__t_, that would not go quietly into this still night.

It scorned the soul, and the strength of its simplicity.

It had refused, refused all its offerings, refused all the temptations of human desire.

A contract. A contract. It wished to live, in exchange for its life it entered a contract. The stipulations, the clauses, the payment and due were left unsaid. _It was wise._

A very simple wish had the soul cried out with, and that was granted without contract by the Drake. _It_ had won. Won without trying. Won with a simple, simple wish, and there was nothing more that the Drake could grant it through a contract.

Yet, a contract there a contract was. In place, if currently null. A contract had to be agreed, once entered , one cannot escape, but such is true for both parties.

It crept to the entrance of it's quiet cave, and gazed onto the shattered moon of this broken world.

It roared, foul, powerful rage filled the air. Nevermores great and small cawed on concert in the far distance, and Goliaths trumpeted in the far off wilds.

It would not go quietly into the still night. Rage. Rage. Rage.

[=]

The tears had gone now. Replaced only by warmth and belonging. The shadows were long now, the shattered moon turned whole again as it hung low over the horizon.

The human heart was much like their moon. It shattered, at times, but the pieces were still there, and it would eventually knit itself together again, eventually.

Weiss Schnee rested her head on her friend's thighs. Legs toward the window, reclining in the soft moonlight.

"You're taking this well."

"I've lost a lot of people Weiss.", Yang said.

"I have too, but you seem so calm.", she coiled a strand of the brawler's golden mane around one dainty finger. "Have you become used to it?"

"...", she stroked the heiress' silver hair.

"I lost one mother before I knew her. Maybe that was a mercy on her part. I lost a second mother after she loved me like I was her own. She was my hero, baker of cookies and slayer of monsters. When she disappeared, it was just me and Ruby. Now she's gone too.", she said solemnly.

"I'd be a liar if I said I'm not used to it, but I hope, I really, really hope, I never become so used to the idea of loosing the people I love."

"Yang I'm-"

"Don't say anything. Just promise me you won't leave me too.", the brawler rested her hands on the heiress' shoulders, and she laid a hand on her brawler's.

"I...am not like you Yang."

"Obviously.", the heiress pinched her.

"Our family isn't exactly complete right now. We're missing one dolt and a cat.", she said evenly.

"Lets go get the cat. The should be home soon", they hoped.

[=]

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Clang, clang, clang, ping.

The scent of forge smoke. The tang of steel in the air. The sound of a roaring forge, and flowing water. Sensations caressed her, nudging mind to wakening thought.

Light.

"I'm alive", good. An unfamiliar ceiling greeted her, beams of light filtered through cracks in the planks, and marred logs strewn about at odd angles.

She sat up tentatively, surveying herself before her surroundings. Clothed, cloaked, skirted, and unarmed.

Clang. Clang. Ping-ping.

It was a forge, a figure sat by the anvil, hammering away at white not steel. His eyes were gray like cooled steel, his hair an ash white, and his skin bronzed.

His features held her if only for a moment before her eyes wandered to his work.

On his anvil lay a fine ax head. Double bladed, with fine angles. The only true curves were in the blades. Small triangles were cut into the body of the head, forming small hourglasses parallel to the blades and congruent to each other.

"It's pretty isn't it?", behind.

Clothed, white-cloaked, skin as fair as first snow, eyes glimmered like quick silver, hair and lips red as blood.

It took a moment to register, another to realize, and one more to react. Her heart wavered for one beat. Her breath stopped. Eyes went wide with painful recollection.

The white figure strode forward, Ruby's shock still apparent. Strong arms wrapped around the small red form, "I've missed you, my little rose"

[=]

The lady in white had her lying on her lap now, staring up at the clear sky. Here among the rolling hills, the air felt so unreal. Too clean was its contents, too soft was the wind's touch, even the soft dandelions that bade the wind its fluffy offspring felt too perfect in its own way.

The lady, Summer, her mother, hummed lovingly an old poem's tune, one familiar to both, and dear to each as each other. She was just a head taller than Ruby. Just at Yang's height now.

"You're too quiet", she pouted. "You were being fairly loud a while ago, cry baby."

She poked the younger rose in the cheek.

"I don't really know what to say.", little red said quietly. A time passed. The dandelions swirled about in the gentle breeze. A lone tree lay upon the hill not far from them. It bloomed brightly in the distance, soft pink petals falling in the breeze. The blacksmith's hammering beat was lessening now, soon replaced by a rhythmic grating noise. Polishing.

"Have you thought much about it?", Summer slowly drew her child's bangs out of the way. "About what happens after we die?"

Ruby shot up, facing her mother, eyes sharp with fear, dread and sadness. A faint moistness gathering at their corners.

Before she could open her mouth, a flash of white sped into her. The ground fell away, replaced by the azure blue of the sky, and marshmallow clouds.

The grass was cool, but on her chest lay warmth, the white hood nestled in the crook of her neck.

"Am I dead?", her voice was breaking. The grip around her waist tightened lightly, "That remains to be seen."

"...", little rose gave a small, slightly exasperated sigh.

"I...was kind of expecting you to be a bit more _serious_ about all this.", she gave the white cloak another gentle squeeze.

Summer didn't move for a while. She kept her ear close to Ruby's chest, and savored what she heard. A steady beating, strong and rich.

"Haven't felt my little rose in ages. I didn't know how she grew, or how she felt after I was gone. I wished I could have undone it all. Chosen never to have gone at all. I didn't want to leave you all alone, but I failed. I failed, and I paid for it dearly. I wept, I cursed the heavens, even swore vengeance on my god.

"I always meant to make it back home, to see you grow up, but in the end I hurt you."

"You didn't mean it", she tried to say, then the gems fell away. Tiny droplets that dribbled onto her shirt, then slowly sank into the fabric.

She held her mother now, the one who needed more comfort than her at this moment. A reunion like this, was never what she had expected, but it was not bad, and Summer was not wrong...well not completely anyway.

A mother should never have to abandon her child, Summer never wanted this to happen, and she paid for it with ignorance. Not knowing, left forever to wonder what had happen to her child. What is past is past, and nothing can change that, Ruby knew, but she had also learned much in Summers departure. One could always fix the present, and secure the future.

"To have you in my life was all I ever wanted. Since you left I was a soul for ever haunted.", Ruby began, with such adult tones, unnatural to Summer's ears, and her heart wrenched harder.

"but I learned a lot since you left, and in the end I'm happy, happy that I can talk to you again.", she bit back the tears.

"So, let me tell you a story, a story about Ruby Rose, huntress in training.", and so the tale began, it was a short one given, but every detail was kept as best as she could. Glossing over certain qualities of certain persons.

And slowly the sobbing stopped, and whimpering quieted, and Summer Rose's heart felt whole again. Her daughter had bloomed beautifully. A gentle rose bud had bloomed into a Rose with thorns, gentle but fierce. A prodigy even.

[=]

The blanket was easy enough to find. In hindsight, he felt it would be wise to keep a sleeping set and a night kit somewhere in his office. In case someone hoped to sleep in for the night. His employees worked hard, his friends even harder. It would be courteous of him to be prepared for the eventuality.

These quiet, empty halls. He had walked them as a student, walked them as a professor, and now walked them as a headmaster. If his predecessor had still lived, bless their soul, they could have joked that Ozpin had never left.

Yet it felt like it was missing something again, a certain hood that ran through these halls, bringing a liveliness with them as they went.

Two hoods, one red, one white, one young, the other wilted and gone. Two Roses, both missing now, one likely followed the other to the next great adventure. His heart ached at that.

It would not be the first time he had felt loss, but it hurt far more now. New scars over old wounds, old feelings with new memories.

Arf- bark-bark!

The corgi, was there. Far off at a hallway junction. Dimly lit by the old dust lamps. Ozpin drew closer at the old corgi's calling.

"Hello there, Zwei", he said as he approached.

The corgi barked, loud and pleading. Whimpering as it ducked behind a corner.

"Are you alright, friend?", Ozpin quickened his pace a little to reach the junction.

The dog dragged something into view.

"-What is this", he knelt, an old familiar feeling of dread clinging to his aura.

[=]

"You rode a Nevermore...at initiation..."

"Yea-P", Ruby's habit of popping P's showing through.

"I gave birth to a complete dolt", Ruby punched her in the shoulder.

"Nora rode in on an Ursa! Grimm riding is practically a sport now!", Ruby said.

"That was completely reckless and could have gotten you killed!", Summer scowled, displeased with her daughter's life choices.

"That's what... Weiss said..."

"Yes, the way you describe the Schnee heiress makes her out to have quite the bearings of wealth, taste, and common sense. I suppose she did the sensible thing and didn't join you.", Ruby's giggling caused Summer's scowl to fall.

"She didn't did-she?", Ruby smiled awkwardly.

"Well, there was room for two...and she needed a ride"

"Dunces...both of you", Summer face palmed.

"You remind me a little of her though.", Summer recovered from her playful facepalm enough to shoot Ruby a smile.

"Oh really? In what possible way could I remind you of your not quite so sophisticated heiress friend?",Ruby stared at her incredulously.

"Would you like the list in alphabetical, or sequential order.", raucous laughter came to them easily.

"Alright, alright. So, the Nevermore. Those things don't get as big as that normally. Not unless you're out past the edges of the wild. How'd you get rid of it?"

"The death stalker was pretty big too, Jaune says he found it in a cave.",said Ruby.

"Did this Jaune fellow mention anything about markings at the entrance of the cave?", Summer held up a hand to pause the exposition.

"Uh, yeah, I think. Is that important.", Ruby said.

"No", Summer whistled, "Not at all. Please, continue. The Nervermore?"

"Oh, uhm. Right! So, I initiated an epic plan by looking at Weiss. Yang made this slingshot thingy with Blake, after Yang went Ka-pow! And got the nevermore to crash. Then Weiss was doing her Ice Queen thing, and went Shhhiiinnggg~ and froze it in place, and then I took Sweetheart, and got on the sling shot and got Weiss to use her glyphs, I reloaded, and bam, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!", Ruby inhaled deeply, and looked at Summer.

Her expressionless face alarmed the younger Rose.

_Damn, I gave birth to a cute kid._

_**A cute kid you abandoned.**_

A hand. It waved up and down, silver eyes on the other side.

"You okay Mom?", Ruby was here now, focus.

"I-Yes, its just...aha-" the laugh seemed a bit forced, but Ruby didn't quite notice. "That phrase-, It reminds me of someone I knew. Very queen like, had a bit of a habit for decapitating Grimm. Seems to me you're taking a few pages from Alice. I wonder what she's doing these days. No doubt in some hole somewhere slicing necks, Grimm of course, left and right.

"The Deathstalker?"

"Jaune's team handled that one. He's very handy with a sword.", Summer's eyes held a strange glint.

"Oh, is that so?", she leaned in to Ruby's ear. "-Are you speaking from experience."

Ruby stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion, as though it had gone over her head, then the glorious reddening.

"Moooommmmm!", she tackled the white cloak. Soft punches bouncing off the older woman's corset. She just hugged her daughter tighter.

The struggling stopped, and the two stood in silence for a while. Enjoying the embrace.

"Ruby. I'm proud of you. You've bloomed into a beautiful Rose.", she felt Ruby hug tighter. She could never replicate Yang's bone crushing hugs, but she would try to give Summer one as best she could, for both of them.

"Mom."

"I have to go now my Rose", the loss of "little" did not escape her. "I would have been happy with one minute, to speak to you, and I feel blessed it was longer.

"No-Please", Old feelings welling up in her heart, threatening to spill.

"It was too short in the end, afterall.", She broke the embrace and looked at her child.

"It was already decided, I can't change the past."

"Then let me stay!", a small tear fell away.

"I can't, and never would.", Summer held her one more time. "I'll always watch over you."

The air sang, as something drew near. It landed in Summer's outstretched hand.

The mighty two headed battle ax was just shy of ruby's shoulder, the blades glistened in the the light. Her mother's form faded as though she were made of mist. She reappeared at the edge of the horizon, by the pink blossoms of the tree.

Though it was far, she could see the silver glimmer of her Mother's eyes gaze back at her, one final time.

The ax fell onto the tree, and the blooms burst into the breeze. But they were not one color. The pink had divided into its primary hues. The reds, bright as apples gathered around Summer, and the whites like snow, danced to Summer's rose.

"You don't need me any more, my Rose", Summer whispered. "Your dreams will take you to other places now, and you'll go to where I rest, when your own time comes. Not before"

[=]

"This isn't right.", he lifted it from the ground, dusting the garment off.

It was a cloak, that was obvious, but not alarming. It was white, that was very alarming. Quite frustratingly so.

Petals scattered in its wake, as he rose to his feet. Red petals. Red like Roses. Yet the cloak was white. Why? He shifted his grip on the cloak, and a resounding clang echoed through the halls.

He tucked the cloak under one elbow, and bent low to receive the item. It was an old metal cross of a simple design, decorated by bands of black. A relic of an old belief.

Zwei had wormed his way under his other elbow, and stared, ears low at the artifact as well, and whimpered a baleful cry. Ozpin gave the old Corgi a comforting caress.

"What does this mean?"

AN:

FFFFFFF-

I really should have done more editing, but I think I broke my word record today. I also wish to say that I did not expect that scene with Yang. I'm really certain it would have made the final cut (if I did a final cut, I'm an idiot). I'm not exactly a fan of Freezerburn, but god damn it just happened, kind of sort of here. I mean I'm not gonna start pairing people off left and right. I have my pairings, and I love them so, but I keep them close to my heart and away from my pen. I'll leave what you read here at that, and let you interpret it as you wish.

I'm not happy with how things transitioned with Ruby and Summer, I didn't feel Ruby was emotional enough in the beginning, but I feel like it can be excused. She really had no idea what was going on, all of a sudden dying, then all of a sudden Mom shows up! Then all of a sudden Mom is hugging you and crying like a baby. I'd probably be too shocked to react properly too. I did get her character a little better towards the end I think.

In the end I'll probably go back and edit some things, so this shall be the tenative update **12/24/14.**

**Merry Christmas Everyone~! and if I don't check in until after New Years- Happy New Year~!**


End file.
